Jesus had just healed a man of dropsy on the Sabbath and the religious leaders disapproved.

Perhaps an OT allusion to Proverbs 25:6-7 - Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence, and do not claim a place among great men; 7 it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here,” than for him to humiliate you before a nobleman. What you have seen with your eyes (NIV)

The Problem

The Question: What is the proper attitude and response to a gracious invitation?

The Attitude: Pride

The ProgressionIdeological: The wrong and right response to grace.

The Message to the InvitedThe Wrong ResponseThe Desire for the place of honorThe Demotion to the place humility

If you don’t want to be humbled by someone else, then humble yourself.

The Right ResponseThe Decision for the place of humilityThe Distinction of the place of honor

We see the wrong and right response to grace. The wrong response is to think you are special and deserve to sit in the best place. The right response is to recognize that you are not special and not sit in the place of honor. Let the host move you up if he sees fit.

The Message to the InviterThe attitude: The desire for reciprocal relationships. Come over to our house - your kids can run through our sprinkler....

The question: Who should they invite? The Poor, Crippled, Lame, Blind, etc. This will tie in with the next section.

The Wrong InvitationThe Recipients

Friends, Brothers, Relatives, Rich neighborsThe ReasonThe temptation for reciprocal relationships. Come over to our house - your kids can run through our sprinkler....

The Right InvitationThe Recipients

The Poor, Crippled, Lame, Blind

The Reason

Blessing will come at the resurrection of the righteous

The Point *The First Point: If we try to promote ourselves, God will demote us. Wouldn’t you rather humble yourself and let God raise you up, than be put in your proper place?*The Second Point: Believers should act without thoughts of reciprocity being confident that God will reward such grace and humility at the judgment of the righteousness.

The Relation of the Parable to the Kingdom Program of God

The attitudes which will merit reward in the resurrection are the Kingdom attitudes of humility and generosity.

The Particulars

Banquet customs

The statement by one of the attendees of the dinner following the parable will also connect this parable with the following parable in the context.

Also there is a contrast implied with other passages where the teachers of the Law were notorious for taking the best seats in the synagogues (Matt. 23:6; par. in Mk. 12:39; Lk. 20:46)

The Principles “Everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted” (14:11).

One should be humble and gracious knowing that God will exalt or reward such a believer at the proper time.

1 comment:

I was just dealing with this yesterday. I have a problem of being too humble to the point I don't allow God to use me in more complicated matters. I think I am not strong enough, smart enough, or spiritual enough for God to use me right now. I think I have to finish more Bible studies and pray longer before God can use me in a big capacity. I have to remember that, through God, I can do whatever he wants me to do, whenever he wants me to do it, regardless of my limitations!

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